It was dark, hard to breathe, an enclosed space. Subaru darted up, wheezing and turning around as something brittle cracked underneath him, his hands desperately feeling for anything around, his fingers finding several cold walls at less than elbow's length. Taking a deeper breath in, he choked on something in the air, his lungs tightening as he coughed harder.

"Gah! Help! I- HELP!"

Hammering at the walls of whatever this small enclosure was, one of the surfaces gave way, a rusty creek tearing at his ear-drums as whatever he was on burst forward from underneath him, towards the light, Subaru tumbling with it, landing onto a cold surface smooth surface.

Trying to find his balance and stumbling up to his feet, the young man gaped in a panicky manner, a shiver running down his back. "Wh-"

His gaze was met by a… strange scene. The streets of a city stretched before him, the warm light of gaslights by the thousands illuminating the darkened streets, crowds passing by in warm clothing as small specks of snow circled in the air, the small crystals whirling and whistling as gruff-looking men grunting as they scurried around, the crates they carried letting out faint creaks. A huge smokestack towered over the city's buildings, its body bulging as the very air around it seemed to shine.

"Where-" Subaru shivered again, this time from the freezing air that blew in his face. His mind could not comprehend where he was, "But ho-"

"Get down!" Something smashed into his stomach, throwing him to the ground.

KRSH!

The cobbles in front of him cracked as a mechanical claw smashed into the pavement in front of him, a spindly metal leg stretching up into the sky, Subaru's neck hurting as he looked up. The mechanism's limb ended up with what seemed to be an upright pilot's cabin, a helmeted man peering down from on-high and giving him an apologetic wave, before pulling on something, the machine's clockwork-like inner workings shifting as it stepping forward, the dangerous claw that mere seconds ago could have pulverized the young man disappearing down the street as the vehicle continued on with its night.

"Engine's exhaust! Fuck's wrong with you kid!?" The weight on his stomach lifted, something pulling him up by the arm. "Didn't you see the Loader coming at ye!?"

The man that threw Subaru out of danger's way was hard to make out in the dim lighting of the street, but the abundant facial hair and bulging muscles from the stained undershirt looked intimidating.

"Well! What have you got to say for yerself, punk!" The older man shook him again, the adolescent losing his voice as he feebly opened and closed his mouth before the man noticed something and sighed. "Engine's exhaust, they give me rookies for a single shift of tramenhauling and they spill the coal. One job!"

Letting go of Subaru, the man would pass him, Subaru looking back and finally understanding where he fell out of. A case of coal stood open, its contents spilt over the street, some of the coal dust that Subaru choked on still wafting through the air.

"Come on! Don't got the time! The Roarer's coming soon, gonna have to move fast if we don't want to attract the Hakugei!" The man leaned down shovelling coal in handfuls back into the box, pushing up the wooden cover.

"R-right!" Utterly confused, but not ready to deal with an angry muscular man, Subaru dropped his bag, grabbing pieces and throwing them into the case.

"What are you doing throwing them in one by one!? WE'LL BE HERE UNTIL THE GREAT THAW COMES AROUND! PUT YOUR ARMS INTO IT, ROOKIE!" The man didn't glance up as he continued pushing the case's contents back in.

"Y-yes, sir! On the job!" Reluctantly letting the coal smear on his tracksuit coat, Subaru started to also scoop the spilt anthracite. The two continued to work hurriedly, the adolescent wheezing from the exertion and while the physical labour was not demanding, breathing in the cold air so quickly made him want to cough.

"There we go! More like it! Get a couple like you, and we'd be eating caviar in Priestella!" The older man pushed the case closed, clapping his hands of the coal, before slapping Subaru on the shoulder, "Don't fuck it up next time, or you're gonna be servicing the Engine loader for a week!"

"Yessir!" Subaru did not know what the last part meant but preferred to not find out.

"Good! Now…" The man looked up, a strange mix of excitement and anxiety reflecting in his eyes as he gazed off, behind Subaru's shoulder, "Well, congrats, rookie, you may have made my job harder, but at least we'll get a good view of the Roarer entering the station."

"What?" Subaru would turn around, staring off into the same direction as the old man. The city seemed to cut itself off at a certain line, just a couple of blocks ahead, the light not crossing that far, one or two railway tracks contrasting visibly in the snow, the lack of light making it hard to make out what was any farther than that.

"What am I supposed to be searching for..?" The young man asked in an unsure manner, the shock of the speed of things happening around him not passing.

"Well, why're ya looking at the station, rookie!? There! There!" A warm hand would push Subaru's head to the left. The tracks disappeared into that direction, the dark lines obscured by a combination of snow and night.

The young man furrowed his brows and tensed his eyes, trying to make out anything.

"Oh, here it comes… Can ye feel it?" The old man sounded excited, "Cover ya ears."

"What? Why?-"

His voice was drowned out with a powerful roar, a blast of sound rippling through him as if he was standing next to a speaker at a concert, Subaru stumbling, being caught right before the fall by the older man.

"What was that!?" He shouted as he rubbed his ears, trying to get the ringing out.

"The Roarer! What are you, born yesterday!? Keep watching!"

Subaru followed the command, squinting into the dark beyond the limits of the city, the whistling snow standing like a wall. There was a low metallic screech and two lights appeared in the dark, as if fireflies suddenly appeared in this barren land just like him. Another screech this one longer, the lights beyond the wall of blizzard becoming brighter, more and more appearing.

"Wait, is that…"

The lights were now blinding, Subaru lifting his hand to cover his eyes.

VWOOSH

He blinked as the 'Roarer' arrived at the station, unsure if his eyes were tricking him. This wasn't in any way like a train, in fact, it didn't look like anything he had seen before. The illumination he had mistaken for simple train lights were in fact powerful searchlights sitting upon giant metal carapaces of this mechanical monstrosity. Its size made it seem as if another block of the city simply slid into the station, the structures extending six stories or higher, the watchtowers of smoggy smokestacks richly covering the top, and barrels of artillery peppering the sides.

The old man chuckled, "Aye, I had that expression as well, nothing beats watching this basterd come into town." Subaru just noticed his jaw was hanging ajar, quickly shutting his mouth.

The worker slapped the young man's shoulder, "Well, let's get on with it, gotta unload… tsk, gonna be a pain, the bastards in the City Council still didn't build another storey to the station…" The older man began to grumble to himself as he began to march towards the arriving… mega-train?

Subaru blinked, then again, his brain trying to process what just occurred, "Ah-... eh-... wh-..."

He was just having a slow night living his NEET life and now he was…

He stood up, surprise turning to excitement as he raised his hands and shouted, "I've been transported to a FANTAS-!" Wait, no. This didn't feel like a fantasy setting, in fact, the only thing he saw was all of these mechanisms.

Lowering his hands, Subaru scratched his chin, observing the street again. The coal, the gaslight, the crowds of people dressed in what looked like old-timey clothing. The final nail for the conclusion was a man in a top hat passing him by, his arm giving a whir and whistle as the bicep seemed to be replaced with a steam engine.

"I've been transported…"

"TO A STEAMPUNK WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORLD!"


He couldn't stop grinning his hand tracing his chest under his shirt, comfortably sitting on the box of anthracite he originally fell out of, his eyes wandering as he observed the passersby. His fingers traced smooth metal on the left side of his chest, warm ticking coming through with a strong rhythm.

'That's right. I'm the main character. A clockwork heart.'

Subaru's mind raced with possibilities. In isekai anime, the new arrival was always special. Some power, or some good situation, or…

He frowned as he blushed a little to himself, and scratched his head awkwardly, 'I shouldn't get ahead of myself, just because I'm here doesn't mean some girl will just instantly fall for me…'

For all he knew, he had some sort of magical powers… It didn't take him long to notice but while he could feel the cold, his hands weren't cold themselves. He had been out in the snow for what was around half an hour, probably, but his body seemed to warm itself.

'Right, maybe I'm some sort of… steam mage! Yeah! I warm myself and my clockwork heart uh…' Yeah, he would need to test his abilities somewhere.

Pulling his shirt down and pushing off of the box to stand up, Subaru would throw a gaze at the crowds coming from the direction of the station, the flow of the crowds going from a trickle to a bulging sea of different clothes and headwear. Many seemed to stick to their own groups even in the mish-mash of the masses, the adolescent spotted the average mix-and-match of warmly clothed citizens, the lightly-dressed soot-covered workers similar to the old man that helped him. He also spotted a new sort of passerby, people covered in what looked very close to thickly-insulated ancient diving suits, metal tanks on their backs covered in machinery, their heavy footsteps clanging on the cobbles.

'How does it go for heroes..? I just have to wander around and find my calling, some damsel in distress, or some thugs.' Grabbing the plastic bag, Subaru dove into the flow of people, gawking at the passing stalls, taking in the symphony of competing salesmen.

"Odite crystal dust! Odite crystal dust! Batteries, heaters, vehicles! Make your machines run as if pure magic!"

"Ores! Selling ore! Three tonnes of copper for 20 Holy Coins! Best ores in Fleur! Come and get it, won't get a better deal! Ore-!"

"Surprise yer loved one, get a gift for ye kids, a companion for the rest of your living days! Snow ferrets! 50 copper rendands a pop! Pay another 25, we'll get ye a trained one!"

Some of the salesmen didn't have stalls, instead wandering the crowds, their clothing appearing a bit more lavish than their stationary brethren, their produce ringing, whirring and whistling in their packs.

"Odite torch! Cut through stone! Cut through steel! Cut through copper! Melt it all and start again! Hurry up, Roarer ain't staying here for long!"

"Got a cavalier you're interested in!? Woke up on the wrong side of the bed!? Fear not, Hak-hagon's Beautifying Products have you covered! Carbonate tooth cleanser, bandoline, cooling creme, we've got it-!"

"Reinforced overcoats! Keep yourself as safe as you are warm! Reinforced alloys, low weight, stylish design! Only the best Roarer manufactories! Certified by the Traveler Expeditionary Forces!"

'Maaaaaaaaaaan, if I had any money…' Subaru looked down at his plastic bag, considering trading away some of the hot pots, but relenting. 'What if I don't find someone to feed me in the first days..?'

He tried to scout for any trouble, not really finding any and making his way to one of the sides of the street to catch his breath, the crowds walking much faster than he was used to, even faster than in the busier parts of Tokyo.

'Running into' his first battle turned out to be more difficult than he thought, no mad mage or bandits just coming his way, as if spurred on by a plot. Instead, he was met with magical yet somehow mundane scenes, even if slightly rushed as if the people wanted to get their business done as quickly as possible.

A sudden low feeling of anxiety permeated him… what if he WASN'T the main character?

"H-hey! W-wait! Sto-!"

"Shut your fucking mouth!"

The shouting shook him awake from his own worried daydreaming, Subaru turning his head to the side, noticing a band of men shove somebody into a small dark passage, their screaming and struggling promptly ignored by the pre-occupied masses.

'My chance!' Jumping to his feet, he would quickly run to the passageway, his fingers tightening on the plastic bag's handle like a weapon.

The space between the building was much darker than the lit main streets, almost completely pitch dark, considering the lack of moonlight in the stormy weather. Trying to acclimate his eyes so as to not run in completely blind, Subaru tip-toed forward.

"What'd you say to me, you bloody bureaucrat!?"

"L-look, I don't have anymore, I already sold a huge part back in Hakchuri! You even checked my bags and pockets, I've got nothing!"

A sound of a muffled strike and a whimper.

"Don't you fuck with me, Suwen! I know you merchant fuckers like the back of my hand, so you're gonna produce that Odite cobble I've heard so much about, or I'm gonna show you what the wastes have taught me!"

Subaru blinked as he crept into the courtyard, finally seeing what was occurring. A single figure was doubled over on the ground, the freezing mud staining their grey hair and green overcoat as they whimpered while being questioned. Another, tall and thin, was seemingly kicking the figure on the ground, their clothing appearing much heavier, but hard to make out in the dark. Another two, a wide one and a short one, stood by the courtyard's wall, leaned up against it, chuckling profusely, the wide one's face illuminated by the lit pipe between his teeth.

'N-now's my time to shine!' "Hey, you!"

The thin figure would turn its head, swearing under its breath. "Who the fu-" Not waiting for the shape to gather its bearing, Subaru surged forward taking a blind swing at where he thought the figure's head would be, his knuckles connecting with something soft and jaw-like.

"Umph-!" There was a clank as the shape stumbled back, almost falling down, the man in the green overcoat pulling himself up using the wall and slipping behind Subaru, cowering behind his back.

"Pick on someone your own size, bastard!" The young man put as much force as he could into his words, crossing his arms confidently. 'That's right!'

The sound of someone spitting. "Ghh, my fucking jaw…" While the thin figure recovered, the two by the wall would stop giggling, slowly wandering up to their associate, "You're gonna pay for assaulting a Traveler-in-training, I swear to fuck!"

KRATATATAT!

The air filled with mechanical revving, like a car with a low battery starting up, the figure's clothing beginning to glow in places, Subaru finally making out a pale visage. The warm light seemed to emanate from a partial armour on the man, that being similar to the heavy diving gear-like equipment he saw when passing through the main streets, though unlike those, the man's visage and shoulders were still visible, the armour around his legs and arms and a part of his torso, the energy flowing through his machinery of an orange, flame-like colour.

The man's eyes also adjusted to the new source of illumination as his associates finally reached him, backing him up from both sides, noticing Subaru.

"Fuck me, it's a pipe worker! Well, ain't it my luck!" The armoured bandit pronounced maliciously, superheated vapour whistling out of the spaces between the glowing armour plates of the fighter's gauntlets. "Always wanted to test it on a bitch like that!"

Subaru took a fighting stance, drawing his fist back. "Look out, 'cause I'm about to kick your as-!"

WHISH- POW!

The young man wasn't sure how the strike reached him. There was a distance of several strides between him and his enemy, it was impossible for the armoured man to cover it in such a short period of time. The sides of his vision darkened as he flew a few steps back, and his back hit the hard pavement with a crack.

"Whew! Now that hits the fucking spot!" The armoured man exclaimed, Subaru too busy choking on the blood from his broken nose and the bells of concussion wandering his head to see what his opponent was doing.

Another voice cackled. "Fuck me, Chin, go easy on the poor pipe sucker, he looks like he's about to shit himself!"

"Ghak-" Subaru turned over on his stomach, trying to get up, spitting up blood. "Gehe, I-I'm not done-" Turning to face his enemy, he extended his hand, continuing to cough. "I'll go- coff -go all OUT!"

The adolescent focused on his hand. That's right, this is the moment that heroes get their ace-in-the-hole, when they're up against the wall, when their future friend is up against insurmountable odds. 'Destiny, here I come!'

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! " He let out a roar, tensing his hand as much as possible, waiting for a miracle…

And nothing happened.

" AAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaa… aaa?" Subaru examined his hand, nothing really has changed about his appendage, screaming or not. "Heh, hey, uh… could you help me out I'm not su-" Turning his head back to the man that he was saving, he only saw the green overcoat disappear behind the corner, the victim seizing their moment to disappear.

"H-huh..?" Subaru stood stunned, continuing to stare, his back to his enemy. "W-wait!"

"~Tch. You've got balls, I can say that much, pipe worker, but guts ain't enough." The armoured man's steps sounded behind Subaru, the young man turning around, still too stunned to react to the heavy copper gauntlet barrelling towards his face at unnatural speeds.

CRUNCH

In mere seconds, it didn't matter either. Subaru felt a sudden pain in his head and then he couldn't feel anymore.


It was calm again, his being on her lap.

"I cannot see you so much, my poor poor knight."

Her soothing hand, no, hands, myriads of hands soothed his pained head. The entity that must have been his head.

"I do not have the power to bring you back, not me, but I did not take your heart for nothing, my lovely, lovely knight…"

Something ticked in his heart, something clicked, something screeched.

"I hope to see you, my knight…"


".hguone t'nia stug tub ,rekrow epip ,hcum taht yas nac I ,sllab tog ev'uoY .hcT~"

Tick… Tick… Tick…

"!dratsab ,ezis nwo ruoy enoemos no kciP"

Tick… Tick… Tick…

"!cigam erup no nur senihcam ruoy ekaM !selcihev ,sretaeh ,seirettaB !tsud latsyrc etidO !tsud latsyrc etidO"

Tick… Tick… Tick…

".nwot otni emoc dretsab siht gnihctaw staeb gnihton ,llew sa noisserpxe taht dah I ,eyA"

Whirr…

Clink!


"Woah, son!"

Subaru's knees met the ground painfully as he inhaled deeply, his lungs opening up, the mechanism in his breast restarting.

"Y'alright, kid!?" A strong arm held him by the elbow, not allowing him to fall completely.

"I…" Subaru gazed up, recognising the same man that helped him out of the coal box.

"What?"